Thursday, May 3, 2012

World War I Monument Wedding

There are many interesting places to get married in the city. We have seen a lot of professional photographers shoot "engagement" photos near and around the Capitol on many occasions. In fact, a couple in our condo had a session done in front of the building just recently. We enjoyed the photo shoot from our front window. While traveling down Independence Avenue near the new Martin Luther King Memorial site near the Tidal Basin, we saw a bunch of bridesmaids surrounding the bride on the sidewalk. Just behind them sits the tiny little World War I Memorial that was recently restored. On the platform were arranged chairs for the guests. It reminded me of a wedding I attended in Salem, Massachusetts. My cousin got married on the green under a similar looking structure. The groom was getting out of the car, and the bride did not want to be seen before the official ceremony. That is not an easy task considering the hoards of visitors that were passing by- or perhaps the distraction and the crowd helped after all.

Conceived by Washington architect Frederick H. Brooke in association with architects Horace W. Peaslee and Nathan C. Wyeth, the World War I Memorial commemorates the 26,000 citizens of Washington, D.C. who served in World War I. The domed peristyle Doric temple is located on the National Mall in West Potomac Park and intended to be used as a bandstand large enough to accommodate the 80-member U.S. Marine Corps Band. The memorial rises about 43 ft above its 4 ft marble base while twelve 22 ft Doric columns gracefully support the memorial's dome. Inscribed in the base are 499 names of Washingtonians who lost their life in the war. Authorized by Congress in 1924, the memorial was appropriately dedicated in 1931 on Armistice Day-the official end of WWI. It serves as the first war memorial to be built in West Potomac Park and stands as the only local memorial on the National Mall. (from the DC party tours shuttle website)

Looks innocent enough

In between the constant steam of tourists


Located near the Korean War Memorial

The guests are starting to arrive

The crosswalk from there to the MLK Memorial

Right out in the open

There's the bride

Walking towards the Lincoln Memorial

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